The Vermillion Crusade
by Hayase Yuuki
Summary: AU Taito in a Fire Emblem setting. The usual intrigue, battles, dragons, and camaraderie from FE but with a Digimon twist. In this world, yes, they can absolutely get an S class support, because reasons. Think Taichi and Yama in armor in a land where kings and queens rule, and they're all caught up in it.
1. Chapter 1: Shadows of Gilt

**The Vermillion Crusade  
Chapter 1: Shadows of Gilt**

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Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm desperately waiting for Fire Emblem to come out. I have decided to write my frustrations away by making a Taito version of Fire Emblem, because why not? Everything in my mind is super shippy and the scenery is all Fire Emblem and all the classes are boringly the same, but I hope you will enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, and I don't own Fire Emblem. The main characters are from Digimon, and the class system is from Fire Emblem.

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 _Garulu Keep, Midnight_

One by one, the night guard fell. Garulu Keep was a small political power stationed on the smallest of the icy islands of the Matias Archipelago; being guarded by nature made them terribly sure that a proper army would not be needed. Why would a military power want to attack Garulu? There were many other nations out there to be conquered with an overabundance of wealth, yet they were now under attack.

The head priest heard the warnings first during his evening vigil. He made haste to inform the prince of the chaos that would soon ensue, clutching the royal seal to his chest. His old bones ached, but he had grown used to it with the help of the cold region. There was no time to tell the prince of the dangers that he would face as time wore on.

All those living in the Keep were required to practice a modicum of stealth. As such, the head priest moved swiftly and silently through the stone palace, ignoring the cries of the fallen soldiers. There was no time to help them. The priest could only pray that he could make it to the prince before the assailants; he could not spare even a single word for the dying. They were simply unprepared for a massacre.

He made it to the prince's quarters. It was quiet. The head priest sincerely hoped that it only meant that the prince was still asleep and the attackers had not found the secret room. Garulu may not have had numbers for their military, but they prided themselves on staying hidden. Such precautions were necessary when you were the lordling of the isolated keep. Garulu was a proper political power by day, feigning the title of princedom to a small nation; but those in the know were aware of its shadowy secrets. There was a throne, yes, but it belonged to a man whose blood was royal in a different sense, one that would not be observed by so-called actual nobles.

The lord of Garulu Keep happened to be the greatest thief of all Genna, a young man whose quiet wit and quick fingers won him his very own crown. The name Lukos spread fear and admiration through the was said that whatever he decided he was missing in his life, he would take. Of course, no one in Genna would ever guess that Lukos was also the gentle Prince Yamato.

To the public world, Garulu Keep was a small palace on a small island, a meager gift from King Devim to ensure total control over all regions of Genna. The only resource worth speaking of was their old religious sites. To see them as a threat was a laughable matter.

They stood corrected.

The head priest first pried open a secret panel, sending off a silent alert to a bodyguard the prince never knew he had. After a few moments, the cry of a wyvern sounded from the highest spire of the keep. Taking a deep breath, the high priest quietly tried the door after uttering the password.

A pale hand shot out, grabbing the head priest by the neck. Breathing softly, the old man tried to ignore the cold steel on his skin. "You are in danger, prince," he said, keeping his courage and desperately hoping that he was indeed speaking to the prince. "You must flee."

"Ah, sorry about that, T'suno," came the apology. "I can't imagine why I'm jumpy, can you?"

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated, Prince Yamato," T'suno said curtly. "At least your rooms are dark. It seems no one has come to this corridor yet, so you have some time to escape. I have already called upon your personal guard to escort you off of the island."

"Please, T'suno, you act as if I'm a novice," the prince said with a grin. "And since when did I have a personal guard?"

"You've had one since you were born, your highness. Would you kindly make sure your bright hair is tucked away in your hood? It doesn't suit a thief lord to have such easily seen hair. Honestly, I don't understand why you don't just shave it off."

Mock gasping, Yamato covered his golden hair with a dark bandana. "Surely you jest! And besides, my beauty must be warning enough, don't you think?"

Groaning inwardly, T'suno rummaged around the dark room, locating the pack in another hidden panel. He pulled a few vulneraries from his person and stuffed it inside. "You've got your knives, I see, so that's a plus. There are some dried foodstuffs in here, some healing salves…" muttered the high priest.

He was stalling on purpose. Yamato had the tendency to stop listening to the old man when the rambling started. The high priest knew of this dreadful manner, but was able to use it to give him time to slip the royal seal into the bag as well. It was a ring, thankfully, which meant that once Yamato found it, he'd wear it and would never lose it. The boy was terribly weak when it came to shiny things.

"…And that should be enough to get you where you need to be," concluded T'suno, finally looking up at the prince, who was facing the wall that would slide away to become a window. "Are you troubled, Prince Yamato?"

The high priest was rewarded with a meek smile. T'suno was surprised, but hid it well, like most things in Garulu Keep. It was rare for the thief lord to show any sign of fear.

"I apologize, T'suno," he said softly, accepting the pack with a bow. "I do appreciate all of this. My hope is that you know most of my bravado is a front. To be perfectly honest, I am afraid. I have no idea who's attacking us. As for the _why_ , well, that must mean I've been had, haven't I?"

T'suno had no time to spare. The sounds of rowdy soldiers were nearing the prince's chambers. Wordlessly, the high priest opened the wall, hoping that he'd heard the wyvern's cries amid all the uncertainty.

The bodyguard had impeccable timing. A heart-stopping cry resounded from the scaly winged animal, most likely alerting the rest of the troops to the prince. T'suno motioned to the wyvern rider with an open hand, which Yamato used to steady himself as he mounted behind his personal guard.

"This is Taichi of the Yagami clan," explained T'suno hurriedly. "He will lead you to safety. Whatever you do, please, keep yourself safe. Lose nothing. Stay hidden. If anyone asks, you are not Prince Yamato, but Lukos. Play your part."

Shouting soldiers were now in front of the prince's door. The last thing the prince saw before the wyvern took off into the inky black sky was T'suno, bravely turning to face the last notes of his ancient melody.


	2. Chapter 2: The Moments Before Sunrise

**The Vermillion Crusade**  
 **Chapter 2:** The Moments Before Sunrise

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 **Author's Note:** Aw yeah! Trying to go for weekly here. I hope I can keep up. :) Would love to know thoughts on this, so any reviews would be much appreciated! Sorry if this one's boring. I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, nor any of the classes mentioned in Fire Emblem.

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 _Crossing the Winabor Lakes, The Witching Hour_

The thief lord and the wyvern rider were many miles away from Garulu Keep. It was little more than a speck upon the shadowy horizon. Not once did the fair-haired prince look at his rescuer; he was too busy keeping a keen eye on his old home. The frigid air should have made him uncomfortable and weary, but he was raised in the icy keep, and if anything it made him more aware of losing the place where he once belonged. He felt as though he had aged considerably in the last few hours.

"We'll be arriving soon, milord," came the voice of the driver. "Might want to hold onto me. Or something, anyway…I'm not exactly the guy you want guaranteeing a soft landing."

Startled out of his gloomy reveries, Yamato finally turned his head toward his bodyguard, only to find that the view was completely obstructed by a massive head of brown hair. He was really quite concerned that he'd be knocked off the wyvern if this Taichi person decided to whip his head back to say hello. Feeling decidedly unsociable for the moment, Yamato located the extra set of stirrups and held onto the young man's waist. This was a difficult endeavor considering the armor on both Yamato's arms and Taichi's stomach, but he managed and held fast. He didn't mean to, but being so close to the boy meant he could inhale the scent of his hair. He smelled of wood and smoke, as if he'd spent the night with his head right next to the campfire. Or perhaps his wyvern breathed fire. Yamato wasn't exactly a scholar of the large winged lizards, but in his mind all things that looked like a mythical dragon must, by proxy, do what a mythical dragon would do, even if it was something as absurd as breathing fire.

"Thank you for the warning, ah…Taichi. If I may call you that."

"Sure, considering that's my name, I'm okay with it."

"I hate to pry, but where exactly are we going? I know we're crossing the Winabor Lakes," he added hastily. Yamato wanted to assure his bodyguard that he knew of the world and could handle himself. Were the tables turned, he knew he wouldn't want to be saddled with a dotard or a nincompoop. Guarding a person one hardly knew was difficult in itself without having to deal with nonsensical chatter.

The rider looked back — causing Yamato to duck to avoid the tuft of hair — and grinned at his charge. "Ah, don't worry, prince. I know you're perceptive. Come, now, I know as much about you as I need to, except for the fact that this is the first time I've seen you face-to-face. I wouldn't have gotten this job if it didn't sound like I would be a good fit for you, plain and simple. T'suno and all the rest of the priests oversaw that. They essentially gave me the Book of Yamato to study, and then they'd report to me on all the daily happenings."

Impressed, Yamato found himself calming down despite his good sense to stay vigilant. There were few people in the world he trusted more than T'suno, and if this young man passed the old man's test, the prince felt that he could perhaps allow himself to be handled. Still, the unexpected attack on Garulu Keep was fresh in Yamato's mind. If this man knew everything about him, that would include his identity as Lukos. It would probably include all of the jobs that Lukos had carried in the past, which would have made him a target of violence.

"Forgive me if I don't charm easily, Taichi," replied the prince after some time. "If you give me any reason to mistrust you on this trip, I will not hesitate to fight back."

Taichi seemed to think on this for a moment before raising a brow. "Sure, you could do that. But if you off me, I highly doubt that Agumo here will bend to your will, no matter how much you try to command your royal presence. I'd love to hear what you'd do once you're bucked off of his back and into the sea, or, worse, the less forgiving land."

"Fair point," agreed Yamato. "I suppose I'll just have to question you when we're in some semblance of safety."

Not once did this young man frown during the short speculation of his character. He seemed to be a never-ending pool of energy. It may have been the witching hour, but Taichi's ceaseless demeanor could fool a person into thinking it was the middle of the day. Then, unexpectedly, he took one hand off of the reigns and reached down to give Yamato's hand a reassuring squeeze. The prince was glad for the cover of the dark sky; he could have sworn that he felt himself flush.

Nearly an hour later, they began their descent. Yamato held onto Taichi tightly, glad that they were coming to a slow and gradual stop. Still, he felt his ears popping from the pressure, and he made a silent prayer to the god of snow Garulu that his hearing would remain in tact. He wouldn't be much of a thief if his sense of hearing were stolen from him. Stifling a yawn, he saw that the sky was beginning to shift from blackness to the vermillion of a sunrise. They had been flying for quite some time.

Taichi helped Yamato off of Agumo, bowing deeply to the prince before attending to his creature. It was a grand work of nature: its scaly skin was a proud shade of orange, and its wings had a stripe-like design of bronze, looking as if they were painted on with a delicate artist's hand. The full wingspan was easily five times the height of a normal man. Teeth the size of human fingers and as sharp as talons protruded from his mouth as Taichi pet his head playfully. The wyvern stumbled onto his side, and Taichi obliged with a belly rub. Agumo's actions were awfully similar to a dog's when it came to being with his master.

Yamato watched man and mount with interest. The two seemed to share a near perfect understanding, despite the lack of a shared spoken language. He was never allowed to have pets as a child. Once he got into his thieving career, he couldn't bring himself to have an animal companion tag along for fear that he wouldn't have the time to care for one. As he watched Taichi and Agumo, the prince couldn't help but smile. They may have been forced out of their home, but it was comforting to know that friendship was something that could be held onto for safekeeping, no matter where they were.

He walked over to them, his footsteps quiet and calculated. Though the animal did seem friendly, it was the first time Yamato had seen and ridden a wyvern, and he was unsure of how to approach after landing. If Agumo was anything like a dog, it meant that fear was an aspect to be hidden away. Mutual respect was key. The wyvern screeched suddenly as Yamato came too close for comfort, immediately drawing himself in front of Taichi. "Whoa, whoa, boy, it's all right," soothed Taichi. "It's just the prince. Normally we'd bow to people like him, okay?"

In a frightening sort of humorous way, Agumo screeched again as if in response to Taichi, and bowed his head toward the thief lord. Another screech. Waving its head and tail around, the wyvern got on its feet, walked in a tiny circle for its size, and took on a restful position. "That's a good boy. Have a nice sleep. You deserve it. We'll lounge out in the sun here in this big field," Taichi said, patting the wyvern's tail.

"You've quite a way with animals," Yamato said, trying to hide the shakiness from his voice.

"Nah, just this one. I've raised this guy since he hatched from the egg, so in a way I'm like his momma, or something," explained Taichi, stretching languidly. "Anyway. Can you tell where we are now, milord?"

"Ah, yes. I've almost forgotten that I've been trying to prove to you that I know what's going on, haven't I?"

Taichi chuckled and sat down, leaning against the great beast. "That would be a shame. You'd miss out on your free geography lesson."

Surveying the grassy area around them, Yamato knelt down and rubbed his hand against the earth. He could still hear the gentle sound of the wind on water, which meant they were still somewhat close to the Winabor Lakes. The grass against his palm was waxy, green, and tall; this type of grass only grew near deposits of clay and did well in full sun. He explained this aloud to Taichi, who regarded him with what seemed to be a signature raised brow. "Based on all of this, I'd say that we're closer to the Daib region; this area gets more sun than Sendal, and wouldn't allow for such plants to thrive."

"Strange how you know all this despite coming from an ice kingdom," Taichi observed.

Yamato stifled a laugh. "Well, I'm not exactly a sheltered prince," he replied carefully, watching the wyvern rider's reaction. Did this young man actually know that he was Lukos, the thief? If so, would that put him in jeopardy, or would he feel safer?

"I can't imagine what you might mean by that," Taichi said lightly, raising his arms over his head as a makeshift pillow. "Now, I believe you were going to interrogate me to make sure that I'm a worthy bodyguard. By the way, I assure you that I am, so when you choose to believe me at the end of your questioning, let me be the first to say _I told you so_."

Feeling himself flush with annoyance, Yamato groaned inwardly and rubbed his eyes. The lack of sleep was beginning to catch up with him. "Yes, I can see that you'll be a joy to work with," he said sarcastically. "In the meantime, though, do you think Agumo would mind if I leaned on him as well? I don't mind sleeping on the ground, but…he looks…warmer."

"Hmm, I dunno. What d'you say, Agumo? Want to give the sleepy prince a nice bed?"

Agumo made some sort of grunt. Yamato hoped that it was a grunt of tired acceptance.

"Sounds like it's okay. Make yourself comfy."

Taichi patted the grass next to him, arms still behind his head. His eyes were half-closed, his breathing slowing, ready to sleep. Though Yamato was also on the brink of exhaustion, he was rather irritated that Taichi would offer to answer questions when he was clearly ready to pass out. Surprisingly enough, the young man still exuded a sense of curiosity that kept him awake. He knew something about the prince, and perhaps he was waiting for Yamato to confirm his hypotheses.

"All right, well...I shall begin my line of questioning, if you don't mind. First of all, where are you from?"

"Sounds like a pretty irrelevant question," Taichi responded warily, his voice guarded. "Can we skip to the next one?"

"I apologize if I've offended you. It's not a matter of disdain, honestly. I don't care where you're from; I just want to get a sense of your background. Where you call home can say a lot about a person. Not everything, of course. But say you lived in the jungles of Fairul. I can cautiously assume that you have quick reflexes, because if you did not, the predators there would have eaten you alive and you would not be here. Alternatively, if you were from Suzero, you'd be from an icy place, like me. You might know how to act on ice and I won't feel dragged down. Or perhaps..."

Taichi raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I understand. It's not a matter of prejudice, then?"

"I sincerely hope that isn't the vibe I give off."

"It isn't, but you can never tell. Some people hide it well enough until the right moment, when it hurts the most," muttered the wyvern rider. He could not keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Yamato felt stupid for not realizing how insensitive the question was and said so. "I really am sorry," he repeated. "Please don't feel obligated to answer. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

The look on Taichi's face softened, seeing that the prince was quite kind and was doing his best to empathize with him. The wyvern rider stretched, feeling the deliciousness of it, and looked up at the dark sky and at the stars that were still out. "My hometown is Nelima," he said, eyes closed.

Nelima was a town that every being in Genna knew about, and Yamato was no exception. Unexplained incidents happened there more often than not. Children disappearing for a night, only to reappear the next day, telling tales of adventures that should have taken months or years. It made sense why Taichi wanted to keep that quiet; most people talked about the place as if it were cursed and unclean. As a result, the area was met with rapid decline, looking every inch the town in the mind of common folk. Yamato respected him all the more for saying so; if a person were from Nelima, the common response was to simply lie about it. People made too many snap judgments. Proper jobs were not awarded to those who lived their childhood in sorry Nelima.

In response, Yamato simply put a gentle hand over Taichi's. No words needed to be said. The prince didn't care. T'suno trusted Taichi; therefore, Yamato trusted him, too. This was a secret that Taichi was daring him to keep.

"I'd like to tell you something about me, too, if you don't already know," Yamato said after a spell of silence. "Would you like to take a guess?"

Chuckling, Taichi turned toward the light-haired boy and smiled. "Oh, I could. Did you want to make a bet on whether I know what you're going to say?"

"I only bet when I know my odds are good," replied Yamato. "I have a feeling this is not one of those times. So, tell me what you know about me. Maybe you knowing all the important bits and pieces will help me relax a little. Be more open."

"According to my studies, that's something that is very rare, if not impossible, to achieve," Taichi said with a laugh. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take. I'll tell you what I know."

The boys sat against the warm wyvern and began to suss out each others' pasts. They wanted to speak until the sun rose, and there was a comfort neither of them had ever known before.

* * *

 _Garulu Keep, minutes after midnight_

So many of them were dead.

Though the soldiers at Garulu Keep were few compared to other royal areas, the bodies that were being neatly stacked against the icy walls were plentiful. Even one lifeless body was too much. More than that was an atrocity for any creature with a conscience.

Most people would buckle upon such a scene. The need to release the ill feeling in their stomachs would be too strong to fight. Tears would be difficult to cry, but they'd try to pry themselves out, to allow sorrow to consume them.

But one living being walked among the bodies without a care in the world. Cloaked in darkness and a shimmering fabric that covered their face, they were near impossible to see. They could have been mistaken as a figment of one's imagination. The figure stopped in front of a regal portrait of Prince Yamato.

"Ah, my love," said the soft, female voice from the shadows. "You don't know it yet, but you will be mine, and it will happen much sooner than you think."

The sound of authoritative, clacking footfalls were all that could be heard as she walked toward the exit of the desolate place. After her foul presence was gone, it was replaced with the eerie silence of loss.


End file.
